Chapter 20 Summary

McTeague makes his way back to the Big Dipper Mine, where he worked as a child before being sent away to learn dentistry. It seems like a lifetime ago. He finds himself a job in the mine, on the night shift, under the name Burlington. One night, McTeague is awakened by an unknown source. Standing peering into the darkness, McTeague sees the form of someone coming. The sheriff is after him. By the time they reach the bunkhouse, McTeague is gone.

Chapter 20 Analysis

This short chapter serves to answer the question of what happens to McTeague after he kills his wife. We learn that he has settled in to a happy life as a miner, although he will never fully be free, despite having the money, because he is a fugitive. The money can't protect him from that. He has come full circle...